Johnny's New Love
by JohnnyCarter333
Summary: It's been a week since Johnny has returned to the Carter household... He had a wonderful time travelling with Luca and he would not change any of those days for the world. But his life was in the East End with his family and that is why he left Luca, at least... that's what he's told everyone. But now he's met Geoff, a new kid on the square, and Johnny has fallen in love...
1. Chapter 1

It's been a week since Johnny has returned to the Carter household and already his mum's babying had grown tiring. He was glad she still loved him after his coming out experience but he still couldn't take the constant aggravation of being asked if you wanted a drink every 5 minutes. He had a wonderful time travelling with Luca and he would not change any of those days for the world. But his life was in the East End with his family and that is why he left Luca, at least... that's what he's told everyone.

Things on the square had changed; mainly the people but new market stalls and shops were thriving with people with readiness to splash some cash. Johnny was shocked to hear about the departure of Kush and Carmel, they were loved across the square but apparently, according to his mum, they had to leave after a dispute with the Slaters. _It's only been a couple of years_ he thought and he was right, December 2014 and October 2016 is only a small amount of time for such a big change in the way things are run. Johnny was just happy that his only family hadn't changed, except that business with Dean but they're not allowed to mention that name in their house.

It was only when someone crashed right into him that Johnny realised he had been reminiscing about these events in the middle of the market. He jumped out of his skin, "sorry" said the boy, his hair was dark and pushed to one side, his smile warmed Johnny's heart.  
"No problem" said Johnny, smiling at the boy. "I'm Johnny, Johnny Carter" he offered his hand and was surprised when the boy shook it.  
"Geoff, nice to meet you Johnny, Johnny Carter" he replied, Johnny laughed at that. "Anyway I better get off, I have mocks next week and to be honest with you I haven't done a single ounce of revision for Psychology"  
"I took that!" Johnny exclaimed. There was a moment where neither of them spoke, the longest "moment" of Johnny's life  
"right, I, erm, I better get off" Geoff said warmly. "Nice to meet you; Johnny, Johnny Carter" and with that remark her walked off, leaving Johnny awestruck and alone to walk back to his family home

He ambled into the pub, smiling to himself, Nancy noticing it immediately. She galloped over to him expectantly, "Sooo..." she started "who's the bloke?"  
"Who says there is one?" Johnny replies defensively. "Maybe I'm just happy to see my little sister again.  
"Yeah...no" Nancy says "There's definitely someone on your mind"  
"I don't know what you're talking about"  
"Who's talking about what?" The siblings looked up to see Tina leaning in interested.  
Johnny shakes his head, "no-one's talking about nothing" and with that he skipped upstairs leaving the two of them to try and work out what's going on.

Johnny sat upstairs, in the kitchen, smiling to himself as his mum made him his third hot chocolate for that day; wishing, silently, that he would get a chance to see this Geoff again

I really hope you enjoyed it! More is on it's way!


	2. Chapter 2 - Johnny's Plan

Johnny woke up the next day with a warm feeling in his heart. He snuggled up in the sheets, swimming in the silkiness. He is startled by a knock at the door, "sausage?" Linda calls through the door. "I've made you a cocoa". Johnny groans to himself.  
"Ok, mum!" he says and in she comes, her hair already done up, her blonde locks draped delicately on her shoulders.  
"What time is it?" Johnny asked, exhausted.  
"'Ave you got an 'angover?" Linda enquired. "It's midday"  
"What?!" Johnny asked, he sprang out of bed. "I'm meant to be meeting Sharon in 15 minutes!" He ran past Linda out of the door and straight into the bathroom. 

After 10 minutes Johnny was striding down the marketplace. "Johnny!" Johnny spun round just in time to see Geoff running after him. "Sorry for being all weird yesterday, I was in a bit of a rush"  
"Nah, that's alright" Johnny said, beaming. "What's up? I'm kind of in a rush"  
"Oh, well, you said, yesterday, that you took psychology too and I was wondering if you and I could-"  
"yes" Johnny said, quickly.  
"Oh, I didn't say anything" Geoff laughed. "I was wondering if you could help me with my revision later?"  
"Yeah, yeah sure, come over to the vic we can have a drink and sort it, 4?"  
Geoff smiled at Johnny, his eye lighting up, "see you then". He walked away from Johnny, leaving him ecstatic and looked at his watch. _Only 3 hours 45 minutes_ he smiled after Geoff and bounced off to see Sharon. 

When he entered the Albert Sharon was stood behind the bar cleaning the long line of cocktail glasses that ran along the bar each shining more than the next. "those look pretty clean" Johnny said gesturing to the glasses.  
"What can I say?" Sharon remarked. "I try my best...so what did you want Johnny, I only have 5 minutes to spare and I have spent them on you"  
"I want my old job back" Johnny stated. There was a long pause where Sharon continued cleaning the spotless glasses. "Sharon?" he persisted  
"I don't know, Johnny, I am fully staffed at the moment" the glamorous woman replied, putting down her cloth and looking into his eyes, treating him like an adult, like she always had. "Oh, screw it, of course you can have it back, Johnny. You're my most handsome bartender remember?"  
Johnny punched the air in delight, "you won't regret this"  
"don't let me..." she said. "So 4 o'clock tonight, does that sound good?"  
"Yeah" Johnny was beaming a job and a date...a date. "Ah, Sharon..."  
"Johnny?"  
"Doesn't matter," he left the Albert, his head drooping significantly lower. 

When he entered his home, he ran upstairs to his room and jumped onto his bed, burying his head in his pillow and groaning to himself. Another knock at the door startles Johnny; he moans an allowance for the person to enter the room, "awh, mate you look like, proper down" said the familiar voice of his sister. "you sure you haven't got a hangover?" she asks him.  
"NO!" he says, "why does everyone think that?" he was tired of the constant questions and people babying him.  
"Alright, calm down" she says. "Is it to do with that bloke from yesterday?"  
"I said there weren't no bloke"  
"I know what you said, but you ain't a very good liar" Johnny looked at her and shook his head.  
"It's that new kid, Geoff" he started. "He's meant to be coming over here for me to help him with his revision but I just got a work offer from Sharon to start tonight, at the same time he's coming over and I am frustrated because I need to rearrange this revision session with him now"  
"Ok, well I was asking about the bloke, not your life story," Nancy remarked "but, like you said you can rearrange this date, your life is more important, but it's up to you mate. Have the date tomorrow"  
Johnny nodded "I guess you're right, can you tell him when he turns up?"  
Nancy shook her head "are you joking, mate? You ain't even got his number!"  
Johnny sighed "I'm a little useless ain't I?"  
Nancy laughed "yeah... just a bit, I'll tell him and I'll get his number" she jumped up and left Johnny to revel in his thoughts  
"URGH! You idiot," he said to himself and returned his face to it's dent in the pillow. 

When Geoff entered the pub, he immediately scanned the room for Johnny but there was no sign so he went up to the bar. "can I have a lemonade please?" he asked the blonde girl, standing behind it.  
"Yeah sure, mate..." she replied and went to get him his drink. He scanned the room again and when she returned with the drink he handed the money over and waited for Johnny.  
"You're dressed a bit nice to be drinking alone" the girl enquired.  
"That's not the plan" Geoff laughed, "I'm meant to be meeting someone"  
"A girl?" the blonde girl replied smiling at him.  
"Aha, no" he said back. "More of a bloke kind of lad"  
"awh, sweet, are you Geoff per chance?" she asked. Geoff looked up startled that she knew his name.  
"yes, yes I am, how did you know that?" Geoff replied quickly.  
"Ah, Johnny ain't coming"  
Geoff paused for a second, "oh so... so he stood me up? He was meant to be helping me with my revision" He sighed, all men were like this, if only he swung the other way.  
"He's working at the Albert tonight," she continued. "He was so annoyed when he found out."  
"who are you then, his girlfriend?" Geoff asked, receiving a laugh from the bartender.  
"NO! God, no! I'm his sister, Nancy!"  
"oh, oh my god, sorry!" Geoff said laughing.  
"Nah, it's alright, he gets all his looks from me you see. He don't really like girls anyway"  
"Oh, really, that's a shame... well not a shame... but... and there goes my vocabulary running away like the fork and the spoon"  
"That's the first time I've heard anyone say that... and that has made my day" Nancy said laughing. "He said he can do tomorrow, Johnny I mean; he said you could come at the same time"  
"Yeah, yeah sounds good" he smiled, finished his drink with a last chug and walked outside, he breathed in the fresh air and paused. 

Across the square he saw Lauren crossing the road with her baby, little Louis, it was at that moment Geoff decided to talk to her. He ran after her calling her name, she turned to face him "oh y'alright?" she asked.  
"Yeah, I'm fine" he said "I um, I need to talk to you about something.  
"Anything, what do you need?" She asked  
"Y'alright Lauren?" Geoff turned round to see a bald man standing there, a holdall in one hand and ginger stubble across his face.  
"Dad?" she said "what...what are you doing out?"  
"Everyone know now, darling, their secret is out"  
Geoff stared at him, it was Max Branning. Max looked at him giving him a warning look, telling him to back away from his daughter. "Do you have somewhere to be?" he asked Geoff.  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry." Geoff walked away from Lauren, who called after him, he couldn't tell her now, Max wouldn't let him tell her. It was too late.

I hope you enjoyed my second part – next one on Friday :)


	3. Chapter 3 - Geoff's Secret

Geoff woke up with a sensation of immense pain in his head, he sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and reached to his left for his bottle of pills. He popped two into his mouth and drank a huge gulp of water. He looked at his clock, it was 10 a.m. He clambered out of bed into the bathroom and inspected himself, the bags under his eyes had grown and he felt the weight of them pulling him down. He shook it off and continued to get ready for his day.

Johnny woke up with a sensation of pure joy, he launched up quickly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and reached for his clothes, he half ran into the bathroom and began inspecting himself, he nodded, he was happy and he got on with his day.

By the time he was dressed and had eaten his breakfast it was 11AM and Johnny was buzzing with energy. "Excited much?" his sister said as he bounced down the stairs, humming to himself. He smirked and strolled passed her into the pub, which was already crawling with creatures emerging from their hibernation. Johnny smiled at his mum who was stood, chatting up a punter. Her locks of gorgeous golden hair lay gently on her shoulders, her face, happier than he'd ever seen her, she was finally over the business with Dean and that made Johnny happy, that she was happy. He waved goodbye and headed out the door.

Geoff closed the door to his house shut, strolling out into the square, lapping up the cool autumn breeze that blew against his face. He saw Lauren coming out of her house and considered following but stopped himself; she couldn't know. He put his head down and walked across the square towards the market, where he hoped to find Stacey. She had offered herself up to him as a person to talk to and he figured now would be the best opportunity. He strolled past Lauren, who was too pre-occupied with Louis to spot him, and straight to Stacey's stall where she stood waiting for a customer. "Can I talk to you?" he asked.  
"Sure" she said, and turned to face him, there was a brief period of silence between them and Geoff realised his mistake.  
"...alone" he finished. She nodded and beckoned a man with long-ish hair and a trendy hat, she asked him to hold the stall and the two of them walked to the caf'.

Johnny walked into 'Beales' with a huge smile on his face, to see Jane cleaning down a table. She smiled at him "You alright, Johnny?"  
"Yeah, yeah" he said. "You?"  
"Fine" she replied. "and what can I do for you?"  
"I need to ask a favour of you..."  
"go on..." she pushed out  
"I need to reserve a table, for tonight, but I want it to be special...if you catch my drift"  
"We could light some candles?" Jane suggested, the boy pulled a face.  
"I want him to know I like him..." he said  
"Not following..." Jane said, impatiently  
"But I don't wanna be the one to tell him..." he finished  
"and what are you suggesting I do about that?" she asked  
"drop hints that you think we're dating, make comments about what a cute couple we are, I ain't very good when it comes to words and if he can realise what a great couple we'd make then maybe we could-"  
"Stop." Jane interjected. "You don't need to be afraid of him, Johnny, he's probably a nice enough boy, just tell him how you feel, trust me, emotions mean a lot more when they come from the person feeling them" and with that remark she continues to clean the table

"You've got to tell her" Stacey exclaimed  
"I can't!" Geoff replied "Max will-"  
"forget Max" Stacey laughed "I can deal with him"  
"it will ruin her" Geoff said "she can never find out"  
Stacey pursed her lips, "What?" Geoff asked  
"Well if I was in your situation, I would shout it from the rooftops, if you really want this then go, go tell her, but if you choose not to then... then I guess that's your choice but I think you'd be an idiot to do so"  
Geoff nodded "I need to go" he got up, grabbing his coat and left before Stacey could say another word.

At 4 o'clock, Geoff entered the Vic, his mind in a different place. He nimbled up to the bar and asked for a coke. It was at that point Johnny burst into the room; Geoff didn't notice him until he was standing right next to him. Geoff looks up and jumps, "Ah! Johnny don't do that!" he said, stubbornly.  
"sorry" Johnny replied, defensively. "What do you need help with then?"  
"I...um...I have a mock in a week and a half and I am stumped. I thought I knew all this stuff but recently my minds been in other places and, honestly, I...I don't even know what I'm doing anymore..." Geoff rambled, he looked at Johnny's startled expression, "sorry, you ain't here for my life story, should we start this revision"  
"no, no that's fine, you're upset and you need to speak to someone, I'm here now so do you wanna talk?" Johnny smiled at Geoff, who nodded relieved that someone asked him. He led the way to a table in the corner of the room and the two sat down at a table.

Lauren was sat in her living room; Louis sat on her lap as he drifted slowly to sleep. She smiled at her son, he was he little angel. But recently she had been distracted from him, there was tension within the family, of which she could not understand. Her dad had only been back for a day and already his presence had caused disruption. She could not work out why he had been so funny about Geoff the night before. Fair enough, he'd just got back, but there was something else in his eye, a moment of recognition and Lauren had to find out the truth. I was at that point the doorbell rang

Johnny and Geoff were sat at Beale's now and the pair had ordered their food.  
"I don't understand why you don't just tell Lauren" Johnny reasoned  
"Well, Max for one and the she will hate me...I'm stuck, I've got no easy way out!" There was a brief pause where neither of them spoke and the pair took in their surroundings  
Geoff started smiling, "what?" Johnny asked "why are you smiling?"  
"You booked a table?" Geoff asked "I thought we were just meant to be revising"  
"We were... then you were sad"  
"You did not book this whilst I've been with you!" Geoff exclaimed  
"Look, Geoff the thing is... I...you are..." Johnny started, his words trailing off, Geoff looked at him quizzically, and at that point Lauren strolled past them, towards the bar, tying an apron up and preparing to start her shift. Geoff's eyes averted down immediately.  
"You can't avoid this forever" Johnny said. Lauren looked up seeing Geoff and marched up to him, anger flaring in her eyes  
"Why didn't you tell me?" she said aggressively.  
"What?" Geoff asked  
"I just had Stacey round my house, she said it was best I knew the truth"  
"That bitch!" Geoff muttered  
"When were you planning on telling me, Geoff? Hm? Were you just going to pretend for the rest of our lives."  
Max marched in "Lauren what are you doing?"  
"NO, Dad! Leave me alone" Lauren snapped and turned back to Geoff "I trusted you! I've been over it time and time again and it makes sense"  
"I'm sorry what does?" Max asked  
"He, Geoff there, he's my brother, my twin brother" She turned to face Max "And you covered it up"  
And with that she ran out of the room, leaving Geoff and Max mortified.


	4. Chapter 4

Geoff's eyes snapped open, he felt the chill almost immediately, the icy breeze on his cheek, he stood up, expecting to see his room, his home, but he did not, he saw ice and snow. He waddled on, along the icy path until he stopped, Lauren was standing there, he face emotionless, he eyes set on him. "Lauren?" he asked. No reply. "Lauren?" Nothing. "Lauren, please talk to me" he said and then she screamed. She ran at him full pelt, Geoff had no time to react and before he knew it he was knocked backwards but the ground was gone. Lauren was gone. And he was falling. Falling. Falling. Gone.

He awoke with a start to a tear-stained pillow, his thoughts immediately with his sister, across the road. He got up, slipping on a dressing gown as he did so an walked over to his window to look out across the square it was the 20th October 2016 and he sighed to himself. Then he thought of Stacey. That manipulative bitch. If she had done what he asked, none of this would've happened. It's all her fault.

Johnny awoke in his blue bedroom, yellow music spilling into the room; his first thoughts were with Geoff across the road and how horrible he must be feeling. He swung his feet round to face the window, praying silently that Geoff would be ok and was startled when someone knocked on the door "Y'alright John'?" asked the familiar voice of his sister as she plopped down next to him. He shrugged his shoulders. "He'll be fine, you know?" she comforted. "He's a big boy"  
"I know that Nance', I just care about him"  
"you've only known him five minutes!" she exclaimed.  
"I guess but he's so nice and I-"  
"look, I ain't one to judge or anything and this ain't me having a go. I just want you to take it slow because otherwise you could lose him altogether." Nancy reasoned  
Johnny nodded, _she's right_ he thought _I need to go and see him now_

Geoff walked out of his house, pulling the door shut behind him and started to make his way over to the Vic when he saw her. Her brown her draped across her shoulders, earrings in, smiling away. He marched over to her, fury fuelling him.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU PLAYING AT?!" he roared at her.  
"I don't follow" replied Stacey  
"YOU HAVE RUINED EVERYTHING!" Geoff shouted  
"calm down she'll get over it!"  
"Get over it?" Geoff scoffed. "She could barely look at me and this is all down to you"  
"Don't pin this on me! It's your dad who stole you from your mum!"  
Geoff stopped. He took in this information, inhaling slowly to stop himself from vomiting. "What...are you talking about?" he asked her  
"Oh my God! You didn't know..." Stacey's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and fear. "Geoff it ain't really my place to say anything."  
"Tell me what's going on..." Geoff said calmly, his voice quivering with anger.  
"Max he... he needs to tell ya" Stacey said. Geoff shook his head and turned on his heel, pacing towards the house of his father.

Whilst he was on his way, Johnny came out of the Vic. "Geoff! I was just about to come over... Geoff? Geoff?" Geoff ignored him as he crossed the square and belted it up the steps, he pounded on the door three times and waited, Johnny standing behind him. Max opened the door, there was a moment of recognition between the two of them before Max attempted to slam the door in Geoff's face but his foot was lodged in he pushed the door open and went inside, Johnny following. "What are you then?" Max spat at Johnny. "His puny back up?" Johnny blanked him and followed Geoff into the living room who was already making himself at home. "what do you want Geoff?" Max asked  
"The truth, Stacey seems to think you stole me"  
Max laughed "And you believe her, she's a lying cow, who stirs trouble"  
"And you shagged her." Max smacked his lips together in annoyance. "Is she telling the truth then?" Max shrugged his shoulders, not uttering a single word. Geoff eyed the vases that were set about in the room, he stood up and walked to the nearest one, tapping it, allowing it to plummet to the floor and shatter.  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Max exclaimed. "Those are valuable"  
"I know." Geoff said moving onto the next one, which he watched as the 32 roses, painted delicately onto it wilted into a broken mess on the carpet. "It's a shame really, I liked that one" He took another step forward and just as he was about to send a third vase flying Max yelled at him  
"STOP! I'll... I'll tell you everything"  
"There we are, that wasn't so hard" Johnny couldn't help but smirk at him. Geoff sat down next to Johnny as Max sat in the armchair. Geoff beckoned for him to start explaining.

"It was 23 years ago today when the doctor told us you were twins. We were so happy, so excited. Your mother bought you all these toys and matching outfits. But in January, things took a turn for the worse money-wise." Geoff laughed in shock of that but continued to listen "I didn't know what to do, I couldn't tell Tanya because she'd stress and that could have been bad for the pregnancy. I...I deliberated for ages and decided that we couldn't take on both of you if we wanted to get through the year. We had a home birth so all I had to do was pay the midwife a little bit of extra money and she went through with it. She took you off, I followed came back in and said you were... that you were dead"  
Geoff gasped "you told my mum, that I was dead!" Geoff shook his head "no, no, no, no, no"  
"Geoff, I'm sorry-" Max started  
"SORRY?! What good is sorry? You lied to Lauren. You lied to Mum. You lied to everyone!"  
"Not everyone" Max said  
"Oh no, no, not everyone, not poor little Stacey, that's the thing about you ain't it Dad, it's little girls am I right? You can't get your grubby little fingers off of them!"  
"Stop it!" Max said, keeping his nerve  
"First Stacey, then Lucy, those poor girls are probably ill and dead because of you"  
"STOP IT!" Max roared "JUST STOP IT!"  
"The thing is Dad, who's next? Hm? Let me see... Whitney? Yeah? Maybe? Or maybe even little Jade, because that's how low and pathetic you are, you disgust me!" Geoff was caught off guard by a punch to the nose, which sent him reeling back a couple of paces. Geoff nods his head, "ok then" he said smiling at Max and he prepared to punch him back but was stopped by Johnny shouting "NO, Geoff!" Geoff looked at Johnny, realising he was right and started walking out of the room, stopping at the door and walking back to the mantelpiece, pushing the last vase onto the floor. Max was left alone.

Geoff waited until he was out of sight and began to sob, everything he thought this family reunion would be had come true. Johnny turned the corner after him and hugged him until they were both on the floor, both crying, sharing each others' grief. Johnny smiled at Geoff and Geoff back at him. Then their lips locked together and every care in the world floated away.


End file.
